Rondo

What it means

The rondo is a form in which a main theme recurs several times, with other sections standing between its appearances. The theme, the refrain, appears in the home key; the intervening couplets bring new material and other keys. The simplest layout is the five-part sequence of refrain, first couplet, refrain, second couplet, and refrain; extensions and a coda are usual. The sonata-rondo combines this principle with features of sonata-movement form.

Musical use

The form rests on recognition: the refrain gives support, the couplets provide variety. It is therefore suited to closing movements that are to be catchy and lively, and is the most common finale form of the eighteenth century in symphony, sonata, and concerto. At the same time the rondo stands as an independent piece, especially for piano. Historically the principle reaches far back: in French music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the layout with refrain and couplets is widespread in dances and character pieces, and even earlier, medieval song forms know the same procedure. In the Classical period, the rondo is the most common form for finale movements of sonatas and concertos, for instance in Mozart and Haydn, and often of a dance-like, cheerful character.

Performance practice

Shape the couplets distinctly differently in character, so that the return of the theme has an effect; if everything stays the same, the form becomes boring. Note that the refrain is often altered or shortened at later appearances, and practise these passages separately. Keep the tempo of the theme the same at every return, otherwise it loses its function as a fixed point. Work out the transitions back to the theme, because tension arises there. Plan the coda as an intensification.

Well-known examples are the closing movements of many of Mozart's piano concertos. Compare the appearances and shape the differences. In the sonata-rondo, watch where features of sonata-movement form are added, because the formal organization results from this. The word comes from the French rondeau, a medieval poetic form with a refrain.

Check whether the coda takes up thematic material, because it is then to be shaped as a summary rather than as an appendix.